Two amazing stats

1. This is my 3rd blog post in 3 days!
2. It is freezing here, but it is still over 80 degrees in Ethiopia!

Waiting for their sibs

Jim and I aren't the only ones patiently waiting...

Tessa is readily using the "I'll share all of my presents with my brothers and sisters" line in regards to the ever growing Christmas list which includes Barbies and.....Barbies. And clothes, believe it or not, because she is always quick to remind us that she knows style and fashion. (Awesome! Can't wait until she's 16.)

Mark is now in the middle of his second season of Oswegoland Park District basketball, only this year Jim is his coach. Go Impact!! His reading and writing are really taking off, too, and he is using both to fuel and share his wonderful imagination. And...not to spoil any future Christmas card/blog photo...he has also lost both of his front teeth!!

How the time flies!!!!

If you look over at our handy-dandy sidebar time line, you'll see that Saturday marked one year on the waiting list. While that sounds like a long time, the prospect of being close to a referral is pretty hard to grasp, too. The Ethiopian courts have reopened, but there have not been any travel groups announced. There are now 63 children matched with families that are waiting to travel. Many of those referrals have come in the last month, and have included many babies and homes for many older children waiting for families. We could be matched tomorrow, or it could be a few more months. Knowing the challenges children must endure to become part of the adoption system certainly keep that wait in perspective, and we pray for all of them and their biological families for those tough times. We know that when we add to our family, it will be part of a way bigger plan and are thankful for our part in that.

Since our home study is over a year old, we've been in the process of making a few updates. That includes some forms, fingerprints and completing a classroom session for adoptive parents. Jim and I went to Chicago for that on Friday, and we did enjoy talking with other adoptive families, many of whom are just starting their journey.

As for Mark and Tessa...we'll need more than a few minutes and for sure some photos to do them justice!! They are doing very well, and we look forward to sharing their adventures real soon.

The short version...

We're still waiting for a referral, but are happy to see the Ethiopia program stable and doing well. We're also at the point of renewing some of our paperwork that has to take place on an annual basis.

Jim and I did run the 10K....the whole thing!! It was a lot of fun. Thanks to Patti and Mark for going with us and Christine who picked up our race packets.

Tessa is having a great time in pre-K, speech class and ballet. She is logging A LOT of hours playing Barbies. Mark's really enjoying 1st grade, too! He's waiting for his basketball team to get started and has two very loose front teeth.

I still love Direct TV...a lot...

I'm pretty sure that ties up all of the loose ends from the previous few posts that exist on this blog. Now I'm thinking about (and I know I've said this before), actually trying to keep up with this and post more than 5 times a year... I'm not totally thrilled with any of the Blogger templates, though. Anybody out there have any ideas??

Selective boredom and The Human Race

You know those times when you say you're bored, but you technically have a 1000 things you could, or should, be doing? Well, I'm sort of in one OR I was in one before yesterday (slight exageration); I believe this is due to being at the "wait, but we reallly can't do anything to help it along" portion of the adoption process for, oh, the eighth straight month. See, I've also been needing to exercise for quite some time here (no exageration whatsoever). I've needed a goal or an event, though, and I've found several reasons to dismiss options (hey, I already did the marathon once), but now I've found it! The Nike+ Human Race is my "turn it around, get in shape, add focus to the other areas of my life, don't be bored" winner! It is a pretty big deal world wide... A 10K (6.2 miles) will be run in 25 different cities on the same day. Each one ends with a concert for the runners; Chicago is host to Fall Out Boy playing in Soldier Field. This as a whole is the world's largest running event and benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency and the World Wildlife Fund. I actually registered AND ran the first 2 miles of my training plan today. Not bad!

In adoption news, you'll also notice I've added a lovely clock that tells you what time it is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capitol city. We are very close to the top of the referral waiting list! The courts there, however, close for part of August and September, so even a match in the next couple of weeks would likely mean October or November travel. Realistically, it could still be a couple of months for that match to happen, but we're hoping to hear before long. It is challenging to wait, in part, because there will be so many things to do once we are matched that really can't happen until then like adjusting the all of the kids' rooms, collecting their gear and preparing for school. There are, however, many things I could be doing now (as Jim will confirm) to enjoy and simplify life as it is. Let's hope this run is a step in the right direction : )

Please keep our friends, Annie and Peter in your prayers as Annie is traveling home from Taiwan with their second son, Nate, RIGHT NOW!! We can't wait to meet you, Nate!

Yup...still boring in blog-land!

BUT we're moving forward on the waiting list, and there has been much positive activity within our agency. We're relatively high on the waiting list now, which could mean a call tomorrow or four months from tomorrow! In Ethiopia, the courts close for portions of August through early October, so no cases are heard and referral activity slows down a bit. Please be thinking of the Ethiopia families that received their referrals and are hoping to get through court before the closure and our friends who had their final hearing in Taiwan and leave to pick up their new son in less than two weeks!!

No news is....no news!

So, I'm at Target today (shocker) and I see our friend, Molly, and she's all, "I'm following your blog!" and I'm all, "Oh, you mean our NON-blog...that I NEVER update...despite the fact that months full of fun stuff, including Mark learning how to read and Tessa growing enough hair for a ponytail, has, in fact, taken place?!" So here I am...

We are at about 5 1/2 months on the waiting list, and sibling referrals have been very sporadic lately. WHFC sent an e-mail to confirm our age request, which sent me into a "Wow, is this a routine record review or are they considering an actual referral of actual children AND even though logic tells me this is a routine check, I'm going to drive everyone within earshot bananas until my very patient, very encouraging social worker calls me to tell me exactly what I already assumed" tizzy. That was fun!

We are excited to have other friends having progress in their adoption journeys! One couple has begun the home study process for an older sibling pair from Ethiopia, another is waiting for a travel date for their son in Taiwan and our neighbors finally brought their baby girl home from Guatemala just this week! Keep all of them in your prayers!

Big News!!!

I'm guessing since we haven't posted in just over 2 months, we may have lost our two loyal readers. For those of you still out there, we are excited to announce that we finally got....Direct TV...and a DVR!!! Yes, that's right, folks! Our cable bill (in order to get clear reception of good ole' 2, 5, 7 and 9) increased again, so Jim entered the "research phase" and one week ago today was the big installation. Thanks, Jim!!!

In the adoption world, we continue to wait for our referral and are very encouraged by the referrals and travel dates occurring for those ahead of us. We've arranged for our pediatrician, who has done mission work as well, to review the medical files as soon as our referral is given. Thanks, Dr. Wall!!!